Mother’s Day is an important occasion, especially when your mom is as fantastic at her job as mine. I’ve come up with some fun things over the years to show how much I appreciate all she’s done for me. Once it was a container full of memories rolled up on little pieces of paper that she could open throughout the year, another time it was a multi-course from scratch lunch. Since spring has finally decided to stay for awhile I think a picnic would be lovely, don’t you? Lots of little bites, a colorful setting, and even champagne!
Hi. My name is Kelly and I’m addicted to West African Peanut Soup. I’ve made it twice in a week’s time. It’s super easy to put together (most ingredients are pantry staples) and even easier to eat. Spicy, healthy, and did I mention vegan? This soup is all those things and more. Credit goes to Cookie + Kate, with my only changes being the addition of 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro and a tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Why are you still reading this, go make some NOW! I’ll be over in five.
What would Awards Season be without sassy, smart, witty women dressed in stunning frocks? Oh sure, a bunch of awards and acknowledgements about hours of blood, sweat, and tears poured out of actors and actresses. (But really, it’s all about the dresses.) Here are a few of the trends rocking the red carpet during 2013’s accolades.
One of my favorite trends that’s always present on the red carpet are layered tulle skirts. So ethereal and ultra feminine, they have the ability to turn any lady into a star for the evening. And they nearly always end up on the Best Dressed lists!
This year I’ve noticed a lot of cutouts and black/white dichotomies, both are all about geometry. While the striking black and white ensembles are visually powerful, the cutout panels bring a strong confidence all their own. Neither is for the weak at heart.
Now, as always, sequins and shimmery beading are show-stoppers that a lady simply can’t go wrong with. These dresses say all eyes on me in the best possible way.
Figure-skimming gowns with one embellished area are hot this season. I love the understated quality (if that’s possible in a gown) of these garments, they really allow the women wearing them to shine bright and be the focus.
Everyone knows the best part of any event is the After Party, and when you’ve worked tirelessly to fit into a form-fitting dress the pinnacle are the sweets waiting at the end of the evening.
If you’ll be tuning in to the Oscars this Sunday you can find me tweeting along at @designcrush!
Sponsored by Baileys Original. Join @BaileysOriginal on Twitter to celebrate #girlsnight and the women of the Red Carpet.
A bar cart is something that I’ve wanted for a really long time. I’ve always had dreams of playing the hostess, guests walking in my front door and me smoothly offering them a signature drink. The Leon Iron and Mirror Bar Cart from Arteriors Home is a nice match for the mid-century decor I already have in my home. It’s also nice and narrow, really good for small spaces. And do you spy those antiqued mirror shelves? So good mixed with the industrial iron frame.
So, what goes into putting together a great bar cart? Start with the basic liquors – vodka, whisky, rum, gin – as well as any you use regularly. For me those are tequila, Pimm’s, amaretto, and Cointreau. The middle shelf of this particular bar cart is extra tall and nice for bottles of unusual sizes. But since I don’t have any of those at the moment I had a piece of lumber cut to size, then stained and sealed it to make extra space for the hammered metal bowl I use for an ice bowl by laying it across the end bars. Now it’s easy to leverage the extra vertical space and easy to remove when needed!
Next comes the essential pieces of barware. Most importantly a cocktail shaker, jigger, and some varied glassware. The types I use most are tumblers, collins glasses, and shot glasses. Again, it’s all about making the pieces you find yourself using most easy to access. I also like to keep some disposable coasters around for when there are more than four people and my every day ones are maxed out.
Now yes, I’m aware that not everyone drinks alcohol which is why I also like to add some sparkling waters to the mix. Add a few slices of citrus and it still feels special. Fun accessories like these short stubby paper straws and the (hidden) colored glass stirrers are also great to keep on hand.
You all know there’s absolutely no way I could talk all about bar carts and not give you a new cocktail to try! We’re heading into the last month of super cold weather, which means beating the winter blues and taking full advantage of the bounty of citrus are both of the utmost importance. This Grapefruit Gin Sour takes both things into account, which means you should make room in your weekend to try it out firsthand.
Grapefruit Gin Sour serves 1
• 1 oz gin
• 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice (or go the easy route with bottled ruby red)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice
• .5 oz simple syrup
Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice, then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake away for about 30 seconds, then strain into glass. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit or lime and enjoy! Sour, sweet, and full of vitamins which means it’s basically a health drink.
It’s here! Awards Season is once again upon us – did you catch the Grammys last Sunday? So many wardrobe hits/misses and unexpected wins and losses that it’s a shame to watch alone, don’t you think? Well, I do. So I’ve put together a little inspiration for my ideal Awards Season party including decor, appetizers, desserts, and cocktails. My goal was to create a bit of an old Hollywood-meets-cozy winter wonderland feel with a twist.
Over the holidays my Uncle John passed away after a valiant fight against several medical issues. And as sad as that was and remains, it was also amazing to see my family come together and grow even closer. We all spent several days together reminiscing about great times and pouring through photos of younger days. My cousin, Kathy, brought over a big pot of this soup that she had literally just made up. Everyone thought it was delicious and kept asking for the recipe, though there really wasn’t one because there’s not much to it. Most of the ingredients are precooked, though you can feel free to make homemade versions should the urge strike. Easiest soup ever!
Tortellini Meatball Soup
• 48 oz. chicken stock
• 1 package cheese tortellini (in the refrigerated section)
• 16 frozen (or fresh + precooked) lean turkey meatballs
• 1 bag fresh spinach (I used broccoli this time around, anything green will do)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
In a soup pot slowly bring chicken stock and Italian seasoning to a boil. Add tortellini to stock and cook according to package. While the tortellini is boiling, cook the meatballs accordingly and quarter. Add meatballs and spinach to stock once tortellini is finished cooking. And that’s it.
Sidenote: After some confusion in the Reader Survey I just wanted to point out that the images above are linked, as well as the numbered descriptions. No need to scroll up and down. Thanks for the feedback, everyone!
